I HAVE SOME FINISHES....YEA ME!

We have had our grandson all week so there hasn't been much going on in the sewing room.

I have to tell ya by the time night comes and he is in bed, I am ready to go to bed too.

I had 10,000 steps by noon one day, between him and my mother.  I was shocked.  I went to bed with 20,000 steps under my belt.  Need I tell you more about sewing?

Well....as soon as he left I got busy with these Santas for the two oldest grandsons.

Today I am making two more of these pillowcases.

I sewed French Seams

           
                          

                                                       and used the sausage method (or tube)

                            

CHOO CHOO, GET ON BOARD BECAUSE STANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN!!

My two oldest grandsons are just now discovering Christmas so I thought I would make them a hand towel with this Santa on it.

I had forgotten how big this Santa is, 12 x 12, by fat cat patterns.

I should have waited and gotten a bath towel...Oh well..

Are you wondering why I have that washable stabilizer on it?  I was having issues with my blanket stitch, they were looking like triangles.  I took my stitches out twice.  

Then I had an a ha moment.

If the stabilizer for towels works with the embroidery machine it will work for me.

And it did......doing the little happy dance here.

Now at the risk of repeating my self...Sewer's aid had brought new meaning to my life.  If you only knew the frustrations I was having with my thread breaking with my embroidery machine.

So much so that I haven't used my machine in ages.  Last week after getting the sewer's aid I decided to try it on my threads....  I am in HEAVEN!!!

Made three more of these today.

The outline looks so much better than on the first one I did.

Can you see my Oops in the one below???  I am leaving it.

     I just love these and am so glad I decided to keep going.  All of you gave good advice and I am taking you up on all of it.  Thanks so very very much.

The weather here in Texas is fantastic.....around 40's at night and in the morning you get the chill in the air, by lunch it is warm but not hot.  Just love it.

YES? NO? MAYBE?

The day before yesterday I worked on these.....

Sewer's Aid was suggested to me for my thread breakage.  I was thrilled to get this product and try it out.  It worked on everything but the large Sulky Threads.....don't know what is up with that but I am pleased anyways.

Today I decided to do some more embroidery but this time work on some trains.  As I was picking out my threads, I thought...if I remember correctly when I did up one of these trains a while back, the black thread that details everything was not in sync with the overall project.  Hummmm...well...I thought, maybe it was just that one train???  So on I went.

While the machine was running and my thread a humming (no breakage) I pulled out my red box, see it to the side of this picture.

It has all of my sketches for my patterns, and future patterns, and flops.  I decided to go through it while my machine was at work.

Notice the trash can, it is full.....some projects I had planned to do did't quite make it, some I couldn't figure out what I had planned, just a bunch of scribbles....

Needless to say, it was a Hummmmm should I keep it?  Should I throw it away?  Or is it a maybe?

My box is lighter but not that organized but more so than it was.

This is what I finished.  See the outline over the front of the train...it is too far out...I was so disappointed....  So, should I continue and make more trains knowing that the outline doesn't not match or should I scratch it and go on to something else?  Yes?  No?  Maybe?

ART WITH FABRIC BLOG HOP

                                       

                                               
One thing I have learned from doing these Art with Fabric Blog hops is that it is so fun to stretch yourself with fabrics.  There are so many talented people out there and it is so fun to see what each person comes up with.

I love blanket stitch applique, that is my passion.

I love Island Batik Fabrics they allow me to blend if I need to blend, they have very little fraying, the range of their colors is simply wonderful.



When I saw this young girl, her name is Emily, posing with this picture she created....something just stirred in me.  I thought to myself, I think I can make that with fabrics.

I know this young girl and knew she would love to have a quilt like her picture.

                                                      
                     So...................out comes my trusty Island Batik scraps and the fun began.

 I used the blanket stitch method to attach the fabrics to the background of this quilt.

Before I blanket stitched I use elmer's glue sticks to adhere the shapes to the background fabric.  I was able to glue the shapes down and if I was not happy able to pull them back up and reapply....works great.

It is not exactly like hers but close.

I think she loves it.

I asked her if she had a name for this but neither one of us can come up with one.

Maybe one of you can help us?

Thanks Alida for letting me join you again this year.

Here is the schedule....enjoy!!

Monday, October 9th, 2017

Wendy: http://www.kwiltkrazy.com/
Yanicka: http://yanickahachez.blogspot.com/
Barb: http://www.bejeweledquilts.blogspot.com
Alida: http://tweloquilting.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, October 10th, 2017 

LeeAnna: http://lapaylor.blogspot.com/
Krysia, Hosted by Alida http://tweloquilting.blogspot.com/
Heather: http://heatherquilts.blogspot.com/
Tami: https://thriftshopcommando.blogspot.com/ 

Wednesday, October 11th, 2017 

Janeen: http://quiltartdesigns.blogspot.com/
Andrée: http://quiltinglearningcombo.blogspot.com
Carol: http://www.quiltedfabricart.com
Karen: https://tunaquilts.wordpress.com/ 

Thursday, October 12th, 2017 

Kat: https://www.katknapcrafts.com/
Terry: http://www.terryaskeartquilts.com/
Anita: http://quiltlovefordomesticfelicity.blogspot.com/
Chris: http://chrissquiltinguniverse.blogspot.com/ 

Friday, October 13th, 2017 

Patty, Hosted by Andree http://quiltinglearningcombo.blogspot.com
Edith: http://ediscraftinglife.blogspot.com/

Betty: http://sewnoworries.blogspot.com
Dione: https://www.cleverchameleon.com.au/blog

CREATIVE BORDERS AND BINDINGS - FALL RUNNER TUTORIAL

What a way to say fall with a table runner!

61" x 12"

This month's challenge for the Island Batik ambassadors is Creative Borders and Bindings.

I have to say this was a fun fun challenge.... in fact, you might see more of me this month??  Just depends on life and it happenings.

So.....................

I have been wanting to make a fall runner.

Island Batik sent me these yummy Bonus Fabrics.....couldn't keep my eyes off them or hands.....and now....I get to use them.

Got out my trust Accuquilt Go cutter and my fall medley die.

I wanted my leaf to be larger than the one on the die so I cut a leaf out with paper and then took it to my computer and enlarged it 125%.

As you see I had a little trouble getting the leaf centered but there is more than one way to skin a cat....cut and tape...

I cut seven 7" squares of Heat N Bond.

Using the Ricky Tims method I just drew on one piece and then stapled the rest together.

         

                                                                Cut out

Don't make fun of my staple puller...been in the family a long time.

I cut out seven 9" squares and used the same seven fabrics for the leaves.

I sewed the seven squares together and then put the leaves on to see where I wanted them.

I did not blanket stitch them until the end.

I added a 1 - 1/2" border.

Then I sandwiched my quilt.

Quilted in the ditch and then blanket stitched around the leaves.

This is where the creative border or binding comes in....you can consider it an extra border or part of the binding.....I just like the little flap.....

Next I cut four 1 - 1/4" strips from selvage to selvage,  for the sides I sewed 2 strips and then just one strip cut in half for the ends.  I folded them in half and sewn them on as you see above...it was as close to the edge of the project as possible.  See how it flaps....

Next was the binding.

                                              I just have to say I loooooooooooooooooove it!!!

                    I prefer my runners for my dining room table to be thin, I don't like them wide.

                                         Thinking of making a matching quilt.....

                                                         maybe...

                                                        .want to....

                                                   we will see.....

"THE ARTIST THAT AIMS FOR PERFECTION IN EVERYTHING ACHIEVES IT IN NOTHING."

That quote above was meant for me in making this quilt.

As I have told you, (sorry for the repeat), my friend Sue was the mother of my best friend in high school.

I loved her mom and that relationship continued through marriage and five kids.

We lived by them.

I was always inspired by her quilts and how she had her rooms decorated.

She died of cancer when my youngest was about five.

That was over 20 years ago but a few years later my friend gives me her unfinished work. 

I knew nothing about quilting.  I had made a quilt for my bed, quilts for my sons but no pattern nothing.

I dove into this quilt like I knew what I was doing.  Now I just laugh at myself..

While quilting it the other morning, I had to walk away from it.  Thread was breaking and as I was quilting it I could see all the imperfections in it.
         
                                                        I was mortified.... so disappointed

                                                  I felt like I was dishonoring my friend Sue by making such a horrible mess of her quilt.

The next day I even thought about throwing it away...can you imagine?

I decided to go ahead and finish it but it was difficult with the thread breaking and my heavy heart.

Soooooooooooooo making a short story lonnnnng

My daughter in law comes in that week-end and I go and show her the quilt...I am so embarrassed.

She is looking at it and going..."What is wrong with it?"  I had to show her.  She goes  Pffff....that is nothing...if we have to look for it then it is all good.  No one will ever know.

I told her I would know.

So...the statement above is me.....if my aim was perfection this quilt would have been in the garbage and I would have had nothing.

Now as I look at it I smile.  It isn't half bad.  Is it perfect????  No...I mean NO!!!  but the love I have for my friend is there and I can see how far I have come in my quilting abilities.  Do I always have perfect quilts....NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO  but none as bad as this one.

So my catapillar has become a butterfly.

Let's hope my son will love it.

A FEW THINGS ALL NEW BEGINNER QUILTERS SHOULD KNOW....WINNER OF MY GIVEAWAY

Not a very good picture but once it had a binding and I hide all of the stings I will definitely show this one.

These is so much I want to say about this quilt.  My friend Sue (was the mother of my best friend in school).  She has passed away with cancer about 20 years ago.  A few years after that my friend gave me some unfinished projects of her mother's and this is one of them.  I started working on it and boy I wish I had waited,

Things I should have known but didn't (new quilter)

1.  To square off each block when complete.

2.  That a 1/4" inch foot was available and that 1/4" was the seam I should have taken...

3.  When your squares meet, too keep it from being bulky press one seam one way and the other seam the other way.  This also helps in getting your seams to match up nicely.

4.  and this is very important.....you can not always ease the fabric in while machine quilting.......

I am sure there are more but that is all I can think of right now.

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The winner of my giveaway is Betsy, a big thank you to all of you who commented on my post and to Island Batik for a wonderful blog hop.